Council hires Davenport firm for Woodland Palace repairs

Tuesday

Oct 29, 2013 at 8:00 AM

Drainage problems around the brick foundation

Mike Berry

The City Council Monday approved a project that should preserve 125-year-old Woodland Palace for many more years.The council approved a $51,294 bid from E and H Restoration of Davenport, Iowa to repair the brick foundation walls and improve drainage around the historic house in Francis Park.The house’s foundation, built by Fred Francis in the 1880s, has “seen better days,” said City Manager Kip Spear.The project will involve excavating around the foundation and tuckpointing the bricks. Then a waterproof barrier will be applied to the outside of the brick.City staff will install a new pipe that will carry drainage from the house to the woods to the west.Spear said the foundation has been deteriorating for years. Water has been seeping into the house’s root cellar at least since he started working at the park 34 years ago, he said.The deterioration had reached the point last week where a city crew started excavating around the foundation at one spot, to relieve pressure from the soil on the bricks.Mayor Bruce Tossell acknowledged that it might seem like a lot of money to be spending on the house, but he added that it’s important to preserve the historic structure.“It can’t be replaced,” he said.E and H Restoration specializes in working on historic structures, and has 35 years of experience, Spear said.Councilman Duane Gillespie said he checked the company’s Web site and found an impressive list of buildings for which they have done work, including the iWireless Center in Moline, Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City and the Wisconsin State Capitol.Councilman Andy Koehler said for many years Woodland Palace and the rest of Francis Park were neglected by the city, which took over ownership of the site when Francis, who died in 1926, willed it to the city.Spear said the city has spent a lot of money on upkeep of Francis Park in recent years, but he added that the 40-acre park and Woodland Palace can be an important tourist attraction for Kewanee.Also Monday, the council voted to accept the annual financial audit of the city’s books, as prepared by the Davenport accounting firm of Doyle and Keenan.